Review: Eco-Dent’s Vegan Dental Floss

I have been on the hunt trying to find a vegan dental floss since finding out most floss, including Tom’s of Maine and Desert Essence, both have floss that are coated with beeswax.

I found a brand called Eco-Dent and as I was researching about the brand and floss, I read that their floss may contain enzymes derived from dairy sources. I was confused because it said “100% vegan” on their packaging and their ingredients didn’t list any possible animal derived ingredients.

VEGAN?

After emailing the company, it has been confirmed (and double checked) that both of their dental floss (mint and cinnamon) are 100% vegan. Below you can find 3 email responses after inquiring whether it was true if their floss contained enzymes that are grown on a dairy substrate:

No , that is actually not true. The formulation was changed a number of years ago after our company took over the brand from the former owners. It has not had “enzymes” for at least 4 or 5 years.

Actually I should clarify that it does have VEGETAL source enzymes in it today (pineapple source). I should not have made a “blanket” statements about enzymes in general….

I was correct the first time–I just double checked–no enzymes in the formulation any longer. It is a blend of essential oils with a vegan wax base….it has been a while since I last looked at the ingredient list.

REVIEW

I purchased the Eco-Dent Gentlefloss in Mint ($5.49 for 100 yds).

Let’s start with the packaging because that’s the real game-changer here. It’s “packaged in a cardboard carton rather than a plastic case to cut down on ecological damage done by plastic and the disposal of plastic.” However the floss itself is in a small plastic bag, I’m assuming this is for hygienic/sanitary purposes.

The packaging itself is quite sturdy but will not hold up in a traveller’s cosmetic bag; mine got crushed almost immediately but it still works fine and the blade is accessible, so I ain’t complaining!

Upon opening the package, I smelt a slight aroma of mint and fennel (very slight otherwise I considered it odourless). It glided on well and was able to get in between my teeth with ease. It didn’t leave a minty (or fennel) taste behind and the floss itself never broke or shred.

Overall, I was impressed as much as I could be with a piece of string that goes in between my teeth.

Mixed Feelings

My boyfriend on the other hand, didn’t like the floss. He said it was too thick and he had a hard time getting it through his teeth. In his exact words, “it felt like piano strings”.

After reading other reviews, I’ve come to realize that people have different preferences for dental floss according to their unique teeth structure (well, duh!). With that being said, it would’ve been nice if Eco-Dent offered a variety of different widths of dental floss so everyone with varying ‘tooth gaps’ can support their unique environmentally-friendly packaging.

Final Thoughts

I really liked Eco-Dent’s Gentlefloss and I’m looking forward to trying their cinnamon flavour. It worked perfectly for me but I understand how it wouldn’t for others considering that they only have two options of floss to choose from. I would definitely recommend trying it out because if you do end up liking it, you’re going to be saving a lot of plastic from ending up in landfills and as of right now, I only know of two brands that have vegan floss.

Vegan dental floss??? I freaking love it. Thank you for doing all the hard stuff for me, finding a vegan brand, testing it on you and your boyfriend. I can’t wait to try it out myself. It’s the little things that make a world of difference.

Vicky Ly

June 18, 2015

haha I know, right!? I’ve never given much thought (or appreciation) to how floss is made and what animal ingredients are lurking on a piece of string! If you end up trying it, please let me know how you like it!! Love to hear from others’ experience =)

Markus Schoen

Vicky Ly

June 18, 2015

I was thinking the same thing! But to be honest, I couldn’t find any information to support whether unwaxed floss is 100% free of any animal ingredients. It’s a struggle just to find a list of ingredients for dental floss! Like come on, it’s a piece of string!! haha

If I come across any supportive information that unwaxed floss is indeed simply, vegan-friendly then I’ll be sure to update this post! =)

“Make ethical choices in what we buy, do, and watch. In a consumer-driven society our individual choices, used collectively for the good of animals and nature, can change the world faster than laws.”― Marc Bekoff